Me, My Brother, and MG - a Column by Allen Francis

As I enter my 50s, I find myself living alone as an expatriate in Asia, and I constantly worry about accidentally injuring myself. I’m particularly concerned about slipping and falling. I’ve realized that as we age, it’s essential to prioritize safety. Recently, I had a conversation with my twin brother,…

I don’t enjoy going outside now as much as I did in my youth. I’m a homebody and I like it. This transition made me think of my twin, Aaron, who has myasthenia gravis (MG). Before MG, Aaron was a manual laborer who was very sociable and…

I’m a New York City native now living in Manila, Philippines. I enjoy living here, but the infrastructure is lacking, and the streets aren’t always physically safe. Once I went on a long-distance walk and badly twisted my ankle. It took about two weeks before I could comfortably walk on…

I’ve heard that as we age, we shouldn’t focus on the loss of youth but instead on the acceptance of new chapters. Frankly, it’s hard for me to agree with that because I’m having trouble coping with aging right now. I’ll be 50 in a few days, and it’s bumming…

As I get older, I’m learning that peace of mind is priceless. Anger now seems a worthless luxury in a chaotic world. Most of the time, in fact, we tend to get angry about things we can’t control or that aren’t worth our temper. I live in Manila, the Philippines,…

You must love yourself to keep a healthy lifestyle. But I don’t exercise enough; in fact, I have 20-pound dumbbells collecting dust in a corner of my small condo here in Manila, the Philippines. I decided to ask my twin, Aaron, about his exercise routine, partly for inspiration. Aaron was…

My twin brother, Aaron, was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG) in 1999. He told me that he wants to offer advice and ideas to those newly diagnosed with the condition. There was even less awareness about MG in the late ’90s and early ’00s than there is…

I don’t have kids. It’s a decision I don’t regret. However, I come from a large family consisting of nine children, 10 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. It was a large household, and with a few exceptions, most of my siblings live relatively close to each other. I was surrounded by…

I abhor asking for help. That doesn’t mean I’ve never asked for help in my life, though. Far from it. As a grown man, I pride myself on trying to do the best I can on my own. I like believing in this ideal, but it is far from the…

My twin brother, Aaron, was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG) in 1999. It was a moment that changed both his life and my own. Aaron was 24 at the time and worked as a manual laborer but hadn’t decided on a career yet. MG limited what Aaron could do…